Piastri became the seventh different winner in eight Baku races in 2024, Norris and Bearman are the only current drivers with a 100% points finish rate at the track and Leclerc has secured pole on all of F1’s last four visits to Azerbaijan. Here’s everything you need to know about each driver’s history at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix!
🇳🇱 Max VERSTAPPEN
Max Verstappen finally won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix for the first time in 2022. He looked set to win at Baku City Circuit in 2021, until a tyre failure put him out of the race. It was Verstappen’s third DNF at the circuit, having recorded two successive retirements here in 2017 and 2018.
Verstappen’s best result prior to 2022 was fourth, recorded in 2019. He finished as runner-up to his team-mate in the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, while eighth place in 2016 and fifth in 2024 are his only other finishes at Baku City Circuit.
Verstappen has a 100% Q3 appearance rate in Baku, with a worst qualifying result of ninth in 2015. 2024 was the firs time since his maiden season that he did not qualify in the top five in Azerbaijan. He qualified on the front row for the first time in 2023. He was out-qualified by his team-mate at the circuit for the fourth time in 2024. It ended a streak of Verstappen out-qualifying Sergio Perez at 33 consecutive races.
MAX VERSTAPPEN’S AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2016 |
LOST |
9 |
9 |
8 |
1 |
2017 |
WON |
5 |
5 |
DNF |
– |
2018 |
LOST |
5 |
5 |
DNF |
– |
2019 |
WON |
4 |
4 |
4 |
0 |
2021 |
WON |
3 |
3 |
DNF |
– |
2022 |
LOST |
3 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
2023 |
WON |
2 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
2024 |
LOST |
6 |
6 |
5 |
1 |
🇳🇿 Liam LAWSON
Liam Lawson is yet to race at Baku City Circuit in Formula 1. He secured his maiden Formula 2 pole position at Baku City Circuit back in 2021. He crashed out with Oscar Piastri in the first Sprint before finishing seventh in the second Sprint. Lawson finished sixth in the Feature Race after coming back from a 10-second time penalty. In 2022 – his most recent appearance in Azerbaijan – Lawson finished on the podium in the Sprint Race, coming home in third place.
🇬🇧 Lando NORRIS
In 2024, Lando Norris was eliminated in Q1 at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.17th marked his worst qualifying result to date at Baku City Circuit, as well as only the second time that he failed to reach Q3 here. Despite starting 15th on the grid, Norris recovered to a fourth place finish – his best result to date in Baku.
Norris finished eighth on his first Azerbaijan Grand Prix appearance in 2019 and bettered that result in 2021 with fifth place. He recorded his worst result to date at the circuit in 2022 but maintained his 100% points-scoring rate with a ninth place finish. He finished ninth again in 2023.
2024 was the first time that Norris was out-qualified by a team-mate at Baku City Circuit. His best qualifying result here so far is sixth, recorded in 2021 – though he received a three-place grid penalty and started ninth. He’s yet to start on the front three rows of the grid here.
Norris also raced here in Formula 2 in 2018, where he finished sixth in the Feature Race and fourth in the Sprint Race.
LANDO NORRIS’ AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2019 |
WON |
7 |
7 |
8 |
-1 |
2021 |
WON |
6 |
9 |
5 |
4 |
2022 |
WON |
11 |
11 |
9 |
2 |
2023 |
WON |
7 |
7 |
9 |
-2 |
2024 |
LOST |
17 |
15 |
4 |
11 |
🇦🇺 Oscar PIASTRI
Oscar Piastri finished just outside of the points in 11th place on his first Azerbaijan Grand Prix appearance in 2023. He reached Q3 in qualifying, setting the tenth fastest lap time; three positions behind his team-mate.
In 2024, Piastri scored his first points at Baku City Circuit by winning the race. He did so having started second on the grid.
Piastri was eliminated at the opening corner of his first appearance at Baku City Circuit in Formula 2 in 2021. He went on to finish eighth in the second Sprint Race, before narrowly missing out on the Feature Race victory, finishing as runner-up to Juri Vips.
OSCAR PIASTRI’S AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2023 |
LOST |
10 |
10 |
11 |
-1 |
2024 |
WON |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
🇬🇧 Lewis HAMILTON
Lewis Hamilton looked set to win the 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix – but a lock-up at the first turn on the restart saw him finish only 15th. It was the first time he failed to score at Baku City Circuit.
From his first four appearances here, Hamilton never failed to finish in the top five. He took his first win at the circuit in 2018 and finished as runner-up in 2019. He finished fifth in the two previous seasons. He led the 2017 race, but fell down the order after having to pit due to having a loose headrest.
Hamilton has finished outside of the top five in the last two years in Azerbaijan, finishing sixth in 2023 and ninth in 2024.
Hamilton qualified on the front row in all four Azerbaijan Grands Prix between 2017 and 2021, taking his only pole so far at the circuit in 2017. While he has reached Q3 on every appearance, he qualified only tenth in 2016 after crashing in the qualifying hour and qualified seventh in 2022.
Hamilton qualified seventh again in 2024 but started the race from the pit lane. He gained 11 places during the race to score points.
LEWIS HAMILTON’S AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2016 |
LOST |
10 |
10 |
5 |
5 |
2017 |
WON |
1 |
4 |
5 |
-1 |
2018 |
WON |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2019 |
LOST |
2 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
2021 |
WON |
2 |
2 |
15 |
-13 |
2022 |
LOST |
7 |
7 |
4 |
3 |
2023 |
WON |
5 |
5 |
6 |
-1 |
2024 |
LOST |
7 |
PIT |
9 |
11 |
🇲🇨 Charles LECLERC
Charles Leclerc scored his first Formula 1 points at the event in 2018, finishing a season-best of sixth. He looked set to have a very good Azerbaijan Grand Prix with Ferrari in 2019, but he crashed in qualifying and lined up eighth on the grid. It remains the only time he has been out-qualified by a team-mate in Baku. He finished fifth, beating his previous best result at the circuit.
In 2021, Leclerc took pole position for the race, but finished only fourth – still bettering his best result at the venue. In 2022, Leclerc took pole once again but mechanical issues saw him retire from the race while leading, bringing to an end his 100% points-scoring record at the track.
A third pole followed at the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix but he was again unable to convert it into a win. He did at least finish on the podium, recording his first top three result at Baku City Circuit. Another year and another pole followed in 2024. Once again Leclerc failed to win the race but he remained in contention throughout and finished as runner-up, finishing on the podium for a second consecutive season.
CHARLES LECLERC’S AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2018 |
WON |
14 |
13 |
6 |
7 |
2019 |
LOST |
10 |
8 |
5 |
3 |
2021 |
WON |
1 |
1 |
4 |
-3 |
2022 |
WON |
1 |
1 |
DNF |
– |
2023 |
WON |
1 |
1 |
3 |
-2 |
2024 |
WON |
1 |
1 |
2 |
-1 |
🇬🇧 George RUSSELL
On his first Azerbaijan Grand Prix appearance in 2019, George Russell finished 15th, having qualified 19th. He failed to finish the race in 2021. Russell reached Q2 at the circuit for the first time in 2021, qualifying in 15th place.
He out-qualified his team-mate for the third time at the track on his first appearance here with Mercedes in 2022, qualifying in fifth. In the race, Russell secured his first points at the track. He did so by finishing on the podium, in third place.
In 2023, Russell narrowly missed out on a spot in Q3, qualifying 11th and gaining three positions over the course of the race to finish eighth. He equalled his best qualifying result to date in 2025, setting the fifth fastest time in Q3. That’s where he ran until the closing stages until a collision between Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez gifted him a third place finish, equalling his best result at the circuit.
Prior to his F1 career, Russell had a Saturday to forget at the track in F2 in 2018, finishing only twelfth in the Feature Race. He turned it around on Sunday though, and took victory in the Sprint Race.
GEORGE RUSSELL’S AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2019 |
WON |
19 |
17 |
15 |
2 |
2021 |
WON |
15 |
15 |
DNF |
– |
2022 |
WON |
5 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
2023 |
LOST |
11 |
11 |
8 |
3 |
2024 |
WON |
5 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
🇮🇹 Kimi ANTONELLI
Kimi Antonelli made his first appearance at Baku City Circuit in 2024, competing in Formula 2. After missing pole by just 0.017 seconds, he finished seventh in the Sprint Race and reached the podium with a third place finish in the Feature Race.
🇪🇸 Fernando ALONSO
Fernando Alonso has scored on six of his seven previous appearances at Baku City Circuit. Though Alonso retired from the first race at the track in 2016, he went on to finish ninth in 2017 and seventh in 2018. His 2018 result is made all the more impressive by the fact that he drove back to the pits on two wheels after a first lap incident.
Alonso recorded his best result to date at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with in 2023 with fourth place, while sixth in 2024 made it his sixth consecutive points-scoring race at the track.
As well as his best race result, Alonso also recorded his best qualifying result to date in Baku in 2023, setting the sixth fastest time in Q3. Despite scoring six times, Alonso has qualified in the top ten in Baku only four times. He recorded his only Q1 exit at the track to date in 2017. Alonso has never been out-qualified by a team-mate here.
FERNANDO ALONSO’S AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2016 |
WON |
14 |
13 |
DNF |
– |
2017 |
WON |
16 |
19 |
9 |
10 |
2018 |
WON |
13 |
12 |
7 |
5 |
2021 |
WON |
9 |
8 |
6 |
2 |
2022 |
WON |
10 |
10 |
7 |
3 |
2023 |
WON |
6 |
6 |
4 |
2 |
2024 |
WON |
8 |
7 |
6 |
1 |
🇨🇦 Lance STROLL
Lance Stroll failed to score at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix for the first time in 2021, after retiring with a tyre failure. He also retired in 2022 and recorded a third DNF here in 2024, retiring with brake problems.
Prior to 2021, Stroll scored on all three visits to Baku City Circuit and recorded the best result of his career so far here in 2017, finishing on the podium in third place. He nearly finished as runner-up, but was passed by Valtteri Bottas on the line. Stroll added to his points tally here with eighth and ninth place finishes in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
After two consecutive retirements, Stroll returned to the points at the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix with a seventh place finish; his second-best result to date in Baku.
2023 also saw Stroll return to Q3 in Azerbaijan for the first time since his maiden season. He qualified ninth in 2023, meaning that eighth in 2017 remains his best qualifying result at the track.
Stroll was eliminated in Q2 in both 2018 and 2024 and was out in Q1 on all three appearances between 2019 and 2022. He qualified on the back row in both 2021 and 2022. 2018 remains the last last time he out-qualified his team-mate at Baku City Circuit.
LANCE STROLL’S AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2017 |
WON |
8 |
8 |
3 |
5 |
2018 |
WON |
11 |
10 |
8 |
2 |
2019 |
LOST |
16 |
13 |
9 |
4 |
2021 |
LOST |
19 |
19 |
DNF |
– |
2022 |
LOST |
19 |
19 |
DNF |
– |
2023 |
LOST |
9 |
9 |
7 |
2 |
2024 |
LOST |
15 |
13 |
DNF |
– |
🇫🇷 Pierre GASLY
Finishing in third place in 2021, Pierre Gasly recorded his first points at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. He finished 12th in 2018 and retired from the race in 2019. He scored once again in 2022, finishing fifth with AlphaTauri but failed to bring home points in 2023, coming home only 14th. A 12th place finish followed in 2024.
2021 was the first time Gasly reached Q3 here, qualifying an impressive fourth. He recorded his second Q3 appearance at the track in 2022, qualifying sixth. Gasly set the fastest time in Q1 in 2019 before being excluded for exceeding the fuel flow limit. He qualified on the back row in 2023, recording his second Q1 exit at Baku City Circuit.
PIERRE GASLY’S AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2018 |
WON |
17 |
17 |
12 |
5 |
2019 |
LOST |
15 |
PIT |
DNF |
– |
2021 |
WON |
4 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
2022 |
WON |
6 |
6 |
5 |
1 |
2023 |
LOST |
19 |
17 |
14 |
3 |
2024 |
WON |
13 |
18 |
12 |
6 |
🇦🇺 Jack DOOHAN
Jack Doohan raced at Baku City Circuit in both 2022 and 2023 buy never picked up a point in any of his four races at the venue.
🇫🇷 Esteban OCON
Esteban Ocon finished sixth on his first appearance at Baku City Circuit in the 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, but that remained his only finish at the circuit until 2022, when he finished tenth.
Ocon retired in both 2018 and 2021, while in 2017 he collided with team-mate Sergio Perez, in an incident which ultimately ended the Mexican’s race. The Frenchman finished only 15th here in the last two seasons.
Ocon reached Q3 in both 2017 and 2018, qualifying and starting from seventh on both occasions. 2021 was the first time he failed to reach Q3 here, qualifying 12th. He has not qualified in the top ten since. He recorded his worst qualifying result to date at the track in 2024, exiting in Q1 and qualifying last after hitting the wall on his final lap.
2018 and 2022 are the only times Ocon has out-qualified his team-mate in his six appearances at the track.
ESTEBAN OCON’S AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2017 |
LOST |
7 |
7 |
6 |
1 |
2018 |
WON |
7 |
7 |
DNF |
– |
2021 |
LOST |
12 |
12 |
DNF |
– |
2022 |
LOST |
13 |
13 |
10 |
3 |
2023 |
WON |
12 |
PIT |
15 |
4 |
2024 |
LOST |
20 |
PIT |
15 |
5 |
🇬🇧 Ollie BEARMAN
Ollie Bearman has fond memories of Baku City Circuit. In Formula 2, in 2023, he achieved a rare feat by winning both the Sprint and Feature Race in a single weekend. He sat out the F2 weekend in 2024 in order to replace the banned Kevin Magnussen at Haas for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Bearman out-qualified team-mate Nico Hulkenberg, qualifying 11th. He overtook his team-mate late in the race to secure a tenth place finish.
OLLIE BEARMAN’S AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2024 |
WON |
11 |
10 |
10 |
0 |
🇯🇵 Yuki TSUNODA
Yuki Tsunoda scored points on his first appearance at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in 2021, finishing in seventh place. After encountering DRS issues, he failed to score points in 2022 and finished 13th. Tsunoda returned to the top ten in 2023, scoring a single point with a tenth place finish. His 100% finish rate in Baku came to an end in 2024, when he retired following opening lap contact with Lance Stroll.
After qualifying eighth for three consecutive seasons, 12th place in 2024 marked the first time Tsunoda failed to reach Q3 at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. He has out-qualified his team-mate here in each of the last two seasons.
YUKI TSUNODA’S AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2021 |
LOST |
8 |
7 |
7 |
0 |
2022 |
LOST |
8 |
8 |
13 |
-5 |
2023 |
WON |
8 |
8 |
10 |
-2 |
2024 |
WON |
12 |
11 |
DNF |
– |
🇫🇷 Isack HADJAR
Isack Hadjar raced at Baku City Circuit in Formula 2 in both 2023 and 2024. From his four races here, a seventh place finish – having started 18th on the grid – in the 2023 Feature Race was the only time he scored points. In 2024, he crashed out in qualifying at Turn 1 as a result of overheating brakes.
🇪🇸 Carlos SAINZ
Carlos Sainz’s four race run of consecutive points finishes in Azerbaijan came to an end in 2022 as he recorded his first retirement at Baku City Circuit since 2016. He recorded a third DNF in Baku in 2024, following a late-race collision with Sergio Perez.
Sainz’s best result here is a fifth place finish, which he has recorded twice: with Renault in 2018 and with Ferrari in 2023.
Sainz has progressed to Q3 five times in Baku, including in each of the last four seasons. Third is his best qualifying result to date at the track, which is where he qualified in 2024, having qualified fourth in each of the previous two years.
From his eight appearances here, Sainz has never out-qualified a team-mate at the circuit.
CARLOS SAINZ’S AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2016 |
LOST |
13 |
18 |
DNF |
– |
2017 |
LOST |
12 |
15 |
8 |
7 |
2018 |
LOST |
10 |
9 |
5 |
4 |
2019 |
LOST |
11 |
9 |
7 |
2 |
2021 |
LOST |
5 |
5 |
8 |
-3 |
2022 |
LOST |
4 |
4 |
DNF |
– |
2023 |
LOST |
4 |
4 |
5 |
-1 |
2024 |
LOST |
3 |
3 |
DNF |
– |
🇹🇭 Alex ALBON
With a seventh place finish with Williams in 2024, Alex Albon scored points at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix for the first time. He had previously finished 11th with Toro Rosso in 2019 and 12th with Williams in both 2022 and 2023.
While Albon reached Q2 in 2019, qualifying in 13th place, he could qualify no higher than 17th in 2022. He equalled his best qualifying result to date at the track in 2023 with 13th place before reaching Q3 for the first time here in 2024 – but was unable to set a competitive lap time after the team left a cooler in his air box. The mishap meant that Albon was out-qualified for the first time since his maiden season.
He gained five positions in the 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which was the only time he gained positions from where he has started at Baku City Circuit until 2024, when he made up three places over the course of the race. He finished where he started in both 2019 and 2023.
ALEX ALBON’S AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2019 |
LOST |
13 |
11 |
11 |
0 |
2022 |
WON |
17 |
17 |
12 |
5 |
2023 |
WON |
13 |
12 |
12 |
0 |
2024 |
LOST |
10 |
9 |
7 |
2 |
🇩🇪 Nico HULKENBERG
Ninth place in the 2016 European Grand Prix is the only time that Nico Hulkenberg has scored points from six appearances at the circuit. He came close to scoring again in 2024 but was overtaken by his team-mate just moments before a race-ending Virtual Safety Car period was called.
Hulkenberg failed to finish in both 2017 and 2018. He finished 14th in 2019 and 17th in 2023, with his 11th place result in 2024 marking his best finish at the track since 2016.
Hulkenberg has reached Q3 in Baku only once, with a ninth place qualification in 2018. However, a grid penalty meant that he started only 14th that year. His best starting position at the track is 12th, in both 2016 and 2024. Hulkenberg recorded his first Q1 exit at the track in 2019 and was out in Q1 again in 2023. He started the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix from the pit lane.
NICO HULKENBERG’S AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX HISTORY
Quali Battle |
Qualified |
Grid |
Finished |
Pos Change |
|
2016 |
LOST |
12 |
12 |
9 |
3 |
2017 |
WON |
14 |
13 |
DNF |
– |
2018 |
WON |
9 |
14 |
DNF |
– |
2019 |
LOST |
18 |
15 |
14 |
1 |
2023 |
WON |
17 |
PIT |
17 |
3 |
2024 |
LOST |
14 |
12 |
11 |
1 |
🇧🇷 Gabriel BORTOLETO
Gabriel Bortoleto first raced at Baku City Circuit in 2024, where he finished in the top five in both Formula 2 races. Those results put him top of the Drivers’ Championship.
